29 Today!

Today, April 21st, is another birthday under the belt. This one is the infamous 29. To be followed next year by the even more infamous 30.

For those of you keeping track, this is now the 6th Birthday in Japan, and the 4th Birthday that I’ve blogged. How time flies.

Last year I played a game with the date. The year before that I reflected on aging. (For the 26th birthday I just reported on it after the fact).

Anyway, I thought this year I would take a page from Sara’s blog, and write about the 10 most defining events that have happened during my 20s. This is arguably 1 year premature, but since Sara started the ball rolling on this, I’ll just follow her lead.

1. I figured I would just lump all the usual stuff into one point, such as turning legal drinking age, graduating from college, getting my first real job. (Well, okay, first full time salaried job at least. Perhaps the world of teaching English in Japan can’t really be considered part of the “real world”.) Moved into housing that was owned neither by my parents nor my school. In theory became independent. (Although it’s amazing how much stuff I still relay on my parents for, but I at least manage to get my pants on and get to work on time by myself).

2. Going to Japan. I had been to both Korea and China when I was 19, so this was not for first time abroad or even my first time in Asia. It was, however, the first time I was out of Grand Rapids for longer than 2 weeks since my family moved here when I was 5.

3. Picked up a second language. Not fluent exactly, but conversational at least

4. And of course Japan related adventures. All told I’ve led a pretty quiet life over here (especially compared to some of the Japan travel stories I’ve heard from friends). But there was the hitchhiking trip with Greg from the South of Japan all the way up to Hokkaido one summer. The home stay trip I led. My bellicose adventures in bars and with angry Germans.

5. Became engaged.

6. Became an Uncle

7. Was politically active (for a time at least). From about 17-20, I was developing strong political beliefs, but not doing a lot to act on them. From about 23 onwards I was in Japan, but there were a couple years in between there where I was attending meetings of every progressive group on campus, writing Chimes articles and debating the Republicans, writing -articles and making videos with Media Mouse, getting escorted out of the mall, attending major protests all over the country, getting shoved by Police in Washington D.C., and tear gassed in Quebec, and arguing with school administrators over the commencement speaker.

I miss those days. Now I’m just one of those people who thinks they are being politically active by occasionally writing something on my blog.

8. Speaking of which, I should add starting the blog to this list. I know that will label me as a geek, but given how much time and energy I’ve put into this thing since I started it up at 25, I’d say it warrants a place on this list.

9. Developed lines under my eyes.

10. On a more somber note, I’ve known a handful of high school and college friends and acquaintances who, for one reason or another, died before reaching 29. And as much as we hate to get old, it is a reminder that everyday is a blessing.

Link of the Day
Media Failed to Examine Bush's Lies when he gave a Grand Rapids Speech on Iraq in 2003